Summary

Over the last 50 years, tourism, the arts, upscale dining and retail have transformed the core of Santa Fe, New Mexico. In the past decade, many lower income and Latino residents have moved to recently annexed land, where housing is more affordable but there are fewer public resources. Closer to the central city, residents seek additional public investments to improve livability, but also worry that rising housing costs will lead to displacement.

In 2015, HIP partnered with Chainbreaker Collective, a membership-based economic and environmental justice organization, and the New Mexico Health Equity Partnership to analyze community conditions in four Santa Fe neighborhoods. The study drew on data from the US Census and public agencies in Santa Fe, along with resident focus groups, to examine neighborhood demographics risk of gentrification and displacement, and the distribution of key resources like transportation infrastructure and affordable housing.

They need to think more about the people who live here and not just the tourists. What about us who are low income, we want a future and we are not getting the opportunity.

– Santa Fe resident

Findings

The analysis found stark differences between neighborhoods, both in terms of demographics and public resources. For example, key health protective resources like green space were abundant in the whiter and tourist dominated neighborhoods, but lacking elsewhere. Data also indicated that Hopewell-Mann, a predominantly Latinx neighborhood dominated by renters, was at risk of gentrification and subsequent displacement of low-income residents.

Impact

The report was covered in local news sources and is being used by Chainbreaker Collective to advocate for racially equitable investment of city resources, and increased protections against displacement for Santa Fe residents. Most recently, advocates used maps and images from the report for posters and other materials in campaigning for an equitable city budget.